Process and apparatus for concentrating active deposit



Oct. 4,1927.

H. B. PALMER PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR CONCENTRATING ACTIVE DEPOSIT Filed Avril l5, 1925 A TTORNE YS Patented Oct. 4, 1927. ,UNITED "STATES HARRY IPALIER, OF HENDHAM, JERSEY.

rnocnss AND 'APPARATUS' ron coucmvrna'rnm ACTIVE naposim.

Appumn ined april 1s, 192s.: 'serial no.' 23,'2ss.

This invention relates to process-.and apparatus for concentrating the active deposit of radio active material upon ja body or ve-y hicle to be administered -internally for the therapeutic value of the deposited material.

Certain objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with fthe accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing, partly in section and partly in elevation, an apparatus for carrying out my invention.

Figure 2 is a detail View of a value structure.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral' indicates a receptacle, preferably in the form of a glass bottle, into which maybe introduced, through the neck 6 thereof, a quantity of lilterin solution such as potassium hydroxide in icated by the numeral 7. Within the neck 6 of the bottle there 'is fitted a stopper 8 through whicha tube 9 passes, the tube 9 being projected, as shown, an appre-A ciable distance into the potassium hydroxide which serves as aV means for` filtering` or cleansing air, adapted, as will hereinafter more clearly appear, to be drawn into the container 5 through the tube. To the container 5 there is connected a tube 10v which is passed through a stopper 11 and projects an appreciable distance into a solution of radio active .material 12 carried within a receptacle or container 13, kinto the neck 14 of which thestopper 11 is adapted to fit.

. The radio active material may be in the form of radium chloride or suitablethorium preparations, and functions as a source of emanation whichis adapted to be carried, by means ofpipes 15 and 16, into a storage vessel 17. This storage vessel is preferably constructed from glass and comprises an elongated body 18, the upper end of which is provided with a cup-like closure 19 having an opening 20 formed therein. The cup-like closure is adapted for the reception of a stopper 2l, preferably constructed from rubber, the stopper being provided centrally with a recess or pocket 22 into which the upper or closed end of a magazine 23 is adapted to be Y fitted and frictionally held while suspended in its vertical position, as shown. This magazine is preferably constructed from glass and is adapted for the reception of a plurality of pill-like carrying bodies 24 upon which the active depositie, by the process and apparatus `embo ying adapted to be concentrated. e pill-like bodies 2,4 may be either medicated or unmedicated and are intended to be administered internally for the therapeutic value ,of the active `deposit concentrated upon the surface thereof.v

In order to render the bodies 24 more or less conductive of electricity they may, either contain a certain amount of conductive maf' terial such as carbon for example or they may. be provided with a thin film of a suitmy invention,

able conductive material. While I do not wish to limit myself to any particular dimensions in so far as the magazine 23 is concerned, I prefer to employ a magazine of such a length as to receive twelve pills.

If the pills are to be administered in `doses of one, three times a day, at the rate of three a day and the magazine 23 is of such a len h.'

as to receive twelve pills, one filling of t is magazine will, therefore, last four days in which case the magazine `need beremoved from the storage vessel 17 onl once every four days to replenish the supp y of pills or carrying bodies.

The lower end of the elongated bod 18 is bilged as shown to provide a cham er 25y within which is'arranged a metallic electrode 26, to which the positive terminal of a suitable source of electrical energy, such as a battery 27, may be connected by means of a conductor 28. The negative terminal of the battery 27 may be connected to an electrode 29 by means of conductors 30 between which is interposed a suitable switch 31 for closing the circuit through the battery. The negative electrode 29 is centrally located within a rotary valve 32 and projects into a pair of diametrlcally opposed pockets 33 formed in the valve 32. v It will be noted that the negative electrode 29 projecting into the dia- Kmetrically opposed pockets is adapted to contact with the lowermost pill 24, and it follows therefore that when the circuit is closed through the battery by means of the switch 31 a negative potential is applied to the several pills.

In order to introduce the emanation, de rived from the active material 12, into the storage vessel 17, `I first set up within the vessely as nearly a perfect vacuum as isV prac' ticable, and to this end I employ a suction pump .of suitable design indicated by the numeral 34. This pum is provided with an exhaustA lnozzle 35 having a suitable check,

{valve 36 associated therewith, and is further,

provided with an intake pi e 37 within which is disposed a suitable c eck valve 38. The pipe 37 is adapted to be placed in commumcation with an exhaust pipe 39 through a two-way valve 40 when the valve 1s positioned as shown. connected to the storage'vessel 17,. as shown, and is adapted to communicate with the 1nterior thereof as will be .readily appreciated. When the pump 34 is actuated the fluid content of the vessel 17 is removed, .assuming that the valve 40 is positioned as shown, and discharged through the exhaust nozzle 35,

The check` valve 38, of course, so functions.

as to establish communication between the ipe 37 and the pump 34 when the operating iiandle 41 of the pump is withdrawn, whereas the valve 36, under such conditions, is so actuated as to sever communication between tle pump 34 and the exhaust nozzle 35. When the operating handle 41 1s moved to expel the fluid from the pump 34, the valve 38 is so actuated, as will be readil .understood, as to prevent the return of uid into the vessel 17, whereas the valve 36, under these conditions, is so actuated as to establish communication between the pump 34 and the nozzle 35, thus permitting fluid to beexpelled from the pump 34 preparatory to another intake stroke of the handle 41.

After the vessel 17 has been reduced to substantiall a vacuum, communication beytween the pipes 37 and 39 is severed by so rotating the valve 40 as to establish communi# cation between the pipes 15 and 16. Uponestablishing this communication air, due `to the rareied condition of the vessel 17, is drawn into the pipe 9 from which it emerges and thereafter bubbles up through the solution 7whicl1 functions, asV reviously described, as a filtering or was ing medium. The air thus washedv is then transferred through the pipe 10 into the receptacle 13, whereupon it bubbles up through `the solution 12 and passes on, carrying emanation with it, into the vessel 17 through the pipes 15 and 16. After filling the vessel 17 with emanationthe valve 40 may be so moved' as to sever communication between the pipes 15 and 16 without establishing communication between the pi es 37 and 39. Emanation thus introducedp into the vessel l17 is allowed to remain therein until it is deemed 'advisable to introduce a new supply. 'Preparatory to administering a pill the circuit through the battery 27 is closed through the instrumentalit of the switch 31, and inasmuch as the pills are subjected to a negative potential the active deposit is concentrated upon the exposed surface of the lowermost p1ll, the remaining pills being more orrless protected against such action for the reason that they are-confined within the magazine 23 as shown. Here is may be well to point zI`he pipe 39 is suitably out that the pockets 33 are provided with raised portions or ribs 33 upon which the pillsor carrying bodies are adapted to rest in ordervthat substantially their entire surfaces maybe exposed to the emanation when effecting concentration of the active deposit. After the treatment has been carried out to a sufiicient degree the valve 32 ma be rotated without breaking the seal aifor ed thereby, to dispense the coated pill, through the discharge opening 42. ln rotating the valve to discharge the pill from the pocket 33,v the rdiametrically opposed pocket is brought into position vto receive the next succeeding pill and the coating and dispensin is carried on alternately until the supply o pills has become exhausted.

Having thus described my inventiolrl claim:

1. A process of concentrating active deposit upon a plurality of carrying bodies in succession which consists in introducing said carrying bodies into a vessel, introducin emanation of radio active material into s ai vessel,subjecting said bodies to a negative electrical potential, shielding said `bodles against .active deposit, successively Unshielding said bodies whereby such unshielded bodies may be successively subjected to said emanation.

2. An apparatus for concentrating active deposit upon a carrying body comprising a vessel adapted for the rece tion of a carrying body, means for'intro of radio active material into said vessel, means for subjecting said body to a negative electrical potential in the presence of said emanation, and 'combined sealing and dipspensing means adapted to be actuated to rewhile maintaining said vessel closed.

3. An apparatus for concentrating active' deposit upon a carrying body comprising a closed storage vessel adapted for the reception of emanation of radio active material and for the reception of a carrying body, means for subjecting the carrying body toa negative electrical potential in the presence of said emanation, and means for removing said carrying body from said vessel while maintaining said vessel closed.

An apparatus for concentrating active deposits upon carrying bodies comprising a storage vessel, a magazine adapted. to be positioned within said vessel and adapted to carry a plurality of carrying bodies, means for introducing into said vessel emanation of radio active material, means for pro essively removing said carrying bodies. om said vessel, and means for sub'ecting said carrying bodies to a negative electrical potentlal 'prior to their removal.

'5. apparatus for concentrating active deposits upon carrying bodies comprising a vessel adapted for the reception of emanaucing emanation lll lll

Laagste tion of radio active material, a magazine arranged Within said vessel vand adapted to carry a plurality et carrying bodies, means for sealing said vessel, means for removing said carrying bodies successively from said vessel While maintaining said vessel sealed, and means or subjecting said carrying bodies to a negative electrical potential Within said vessel prior to their removal.

6. An apparatus for concentrating active deposits upon a carrying body comprising a vessel adapted for the reception of a carrying body, means for sealing said vessel, means for exhausting said vessel, means for introducing emanation Iof radio active material into said vessel subsequent to exhaustion, means for subjecting said carrying l body to 'a negative electrical potential,l and means for removing said carrying body from said vessel.

7. An apparatus for concentrating active deposit upon a carrying body comprising .a vessel adapted for the reception of a plurality of carrying bodies, meansior/ sealing said vessel, means tor exhausting said vessel, means for introducing emanation of radio active material into said vessel subsequent to exhaustion, means for shielding said carrying bodies from said emanation, means for unshielding said bodies successively, means for subjecting said bodies to a negative electrical potential, and means for removing said bodies successively from said vessel after having been subjected to said negative electrical potential.

8. An apparatus for concentrating active deposits upon carrying bodies comprising a vessel adapted for the reception of emanation of radio active material, a magazine Within said vessel and adapted to carry a plurality of carrying bodies, combined sealing and dispensing means for said vessel, adapted to be actuated to remove said carrying bodies sucessively from said vessel while maintaining said vessel sealed, .and means for subjecting said carrying bodies to a negative electrical potential Within said'vessel;

in testimony whereof, l have aiixed my signature to this specication.

'HARRY B. PALME. 

